Text available as:

Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.

[Pages H6435-H6441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS RESOLUTION,
2014
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 373, I call up
the joint resolution (H.J. Res 90) making continuing appropriations for
the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal year 2014, and for other
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 373, the joint
resolution is considered read.
The text of the joint resolution is as follows:
H.J. Res. 90
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any money in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of
applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds,
for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal year 2014,
and for other purposes, namely:
Sec. 101. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate
for operations as provided in the Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2013 (division F of Public Law 113-6) and
under the authority and conditions provided in such Act, for
continuing projects or activities (including the costs of
direct loans and loan guarantees) that are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this joint resolution, that were
conducted in fiscal year 2013, and for which appropriations,
funds, or other authority were made available by such Act
under the heading ``Department of Transportation--Federal
Aviation Administration''.
(b) The rate for operations provided by subsection (a) for
each account shall be calculated to reflect the full amount
of any reduction required in fiscal year 2013 pursuant to--
(1) any provision of division G of the Consolidated and
Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-
6), including section 3004; and
(2) the Presidential sequestration order dated March 1,
2013, except as attributable to budget authority made
available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013
(Public Law 113-2).
Sec. 102. Appropriations made by section 101 shall be
available to the extent and in the manner that would be
provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
Sec. 103. Unless otherwise provided for in this joint
resolution or in the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal
year 2014, appropriations and funds made available and
authority granted pursuant to this joint resolution shall be
available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1)
the enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or
activity provided for in this joint resolution; (2) the
enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act for
fiscal year 2014 without any provision for such project or
activity; or (3) December 15, 2013.
Sec. 104. Expenditures made pursuant to this joint
resolution shall be charged to the applicable appropriation,
fund, or authorization whenever a bill in which such
applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization is contained
is enacted into law.
Sec. 105. This joint resolution shall be implemented so
that only the most limited funding action of that permitted
in the joint resolution shall be taken in order to provide
for continuation of projects and activities.
Sec. 106. Amounts made available under section 101 for
civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each
department and agency may be apportioned up to the rate for
operations necessary to avoid furloughs within such
department or agency, consistent with the applicable
appropriations Act for fiscal year 2013, except that such
authority provided under this section shall not be used until
after the department or agency has taken all necessary
actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related
administrative expenses.
Sec. 107. It is the sense of Congress that this joint
resolution may also be referred to as the ``Flight Safety
Act''.
This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Federal
Aviation Administration Continuing Appropriations Resolution,
2014''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 40 minutes,
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member
of the Committee on Appropriations.
The gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham) and the gentleman from Arizona
(Mr. Pastor) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.
General Leave
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous materials on H.J. Res. 90, and that I may include
tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Iowa?
There was no objection.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H6436]]
Mr. Speaker, today I present H.J. Res. 90, a bill providing the FAA
with critical funding to ensure safe air travel for the American public
and providing critical support for the aviation industry, our Nation's
leading exporter.
This bill funds the FAA at the current fiscal year 2013 sequester
level through December 15 or until enactment of a full-year
appropriation for the Transportation-HUD bill, whichever comes first.
The bill would bring back over 6,000 aviation safety inspectors who
are currently not working due to the shutdown. These safety inspectors
perform critical aircraft certifications that support American jobs by
certifying new aircraft for sale in the U.S. and abroad.
The FAA's aviation safety workforce is also essential to ensuring
safety in the national airspace by reinspecting and recertifying the
operation aircraft fleets that transport millions of Americans every
day.
The bill would also reopen the aircraft registry service, assuring
that American-made aircraft can move off the production lines and onto
the markets in the U.S. and around the world.
The bill would reopen the FAA Academy to resume the training of new
air traffic controllers and ensure that our air traffic controller
workforce is fully staffed.
The bill will ensure that air traffic control modernization
investments resume, ensuring that our NextGen development and
deployment continues on schedule.
This is not a comprehensive FY 2014 bill but, rather, a CR to
continue funding the FAA at the current fiscal year 2013 sequester
levels. This brings the FAA back to work to ensure the safety of the
flying public until we can come to an overall resolution on the FY 2014
funding levels.
I urge the quick passage of this important legislation so that we can
send it on to the Senate. Let's get the FAA back to work.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
{time} 1315
Here we go again. This week, the House has considered bill after bill
to fund pieces of the Federal Government. We can open the entire
government if the House would simply pass the clean continuing
resolution passed by the Senate nearly 2 weeks ago. Instead, we are
considering a bill to fund the Federal Aviation Administration, but we
are leaving many other agencies within the Department of Transportation
in shutdown status.
I strongly support the mission of the FAA. The controllers,
technicians, and safety inspectors are highly skilled and dedicated
public servants. However, I cannot support this piecemeal approach to
funding our transportation system.
For example, 94 percent of the Federal Transit Administration's
employees are furloughed. More than 1,300 transit agencies across the
country are not receiving grants for capital and operating assistance.
No funds are provided for the Capital Investment Grant Program, which
helps create construction jobs and relieves congestion in our major
cities.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle safety
program is shut down. Defects in cars and trucks are not being
investigated. Crash tests and safety rulemakings have been suspended.
What about assistance for Amtrak? Operating and capital assistance is
discontinued at a time when more than 30 million passengers rely on
Amtrak to get to destinations all over this country.
The Maritime Security Program gets no relief in this piecemeal
approach. This program provides vital support by helping move the cargo
that is necessary to support our national defense efforts overseas.
Finally, the National Transportation Safety Board has furloughed most
of its employees. Investigations into last week's tragic bus crash in
Tennessee will go undone. Today, we reported a gas explosion in
Oklahoma, which would be the responsibility of this agency to
investigate. Will it be investigated? Probably not--only because of the
shutdown.
The reckless and irresponsible shutdown that has been masterminded by
a small faction of the House is disruptive for our Nation's
transportation system and for the programs that support our most
vulnerable citizens.
For this reason, Mr. Speaker, I would ask for opposition to this
piecemeal approach to this piece of legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the full Appropriations
Committee.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the chairman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard from the other side of the aisle on all of
these bills that attempt to reopen many aspects of the Federal
Government. We hear them say, well, I am in favor of that program, but
I want to vote against it until they bring the entire government
funding bill before us.
I would love to do that. I would love to bring the entire budget
here. In fact, we did, and we can't get the Senate to act on it. But in
the meantime, the other side is saying, I will vote against this
because I want to save and vote for the entire Federal Government.
That may work in some of the agencies, but this is safety. This is
the safety of people flying the skies of this country and the world.
You don't want to delay safety until you can vote on a bigger bill. I
think it is irresponsible not to support the safety of our people in
the skies.
This bill provides funding to resume operations within FAA that are
critical to the safety of our skies and our aircraft fleet. It would
bring back 7,000 aviation safety inspectors currently not working,
restart aircraft certification activities, resume training for air
traffic controllers, reopen the aircraft registry service, and continue
air traffic control modernization.
Mr. Speaker, you don't want to mess around with the safety of our
people. This bill cures that problem. I can't imagine anyone wanting to
oppose this bill.
The sum total of these efforts will help guarantee safe, efficient,
and reliable air travel for the American public.
This funding is provided at an annual rate of $12 billion and will
last until December 15, or until the Congress enacts and the President
signs full-year appropriations bills.
The language in this bill is yet again nearly identical to what was
included in the CR I offered back in September--nearly a month ago.
Once again, we are calling on the Senate to consider and pass this
bill. Our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol continue to call
for a clean CR; yet they continue to act on these ``clean'' mini-CRs.
The House has put forward a plethora of options to fund the Federal
Government: first, the four annual appropriations bills to fund the
government in regular order; then three different continuing
resolutions prior to September 30; and now the short-term CRs to reopen
parts of the Federal Government--in fact, more than a third of it so
far.
But the Senate is committed to inaction. They didn't pass any regular
appropriations bills; they will not pass our clean, short-term funding
bills; and they so far have refused to join us at the negotiating
table.
Mr. Speaker, that completely puzzles me. It goes against the grain of
what has gone on in this country since we have been a country. When the
two bodies differ, the Founding Fathers said, if you can't agree,
appoint conference members from either body--both bodies--and let them
go out and recommend a solution to the problem. It has always worked,
except now the Senate refuses to do their duty.
I hope they will consider this bill as a steppingstone toward ending
the shutdown. We need to come together in a productive way with open
ears and open minds to find a way to clean up this mess.
I urge my colleagues to preserve the safety of American skies. Vote
for this bill.
Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting in that I
believe many months ago the Senate, which no one thought would pass a
budget, we persuaded them through our votes here in the House to pass a
budget, and the House leadership refused to have a conference to
appoint conferees so that we could have had regular order, had done
[[Page H6437]]
the appropriations bills--and I know the chairman of Appropriations
wanted to do that--and today here we are talking about safety when most
of the air traffic controllers are already on the job.
I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New
York (Mrs. Lowey), the distinguished ranking member of the
Appropriations Committee.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this reckless
Republican shutdown.
As if we need any more proof of a broken Republican government
funding strategy, today we are considering a fix to a sequester Band-
Aid. This is deja vu, Mr. Speaker, and further admission that the
Republican budget strategy just is not working. While this bill puts
furloughed FAA workers back on the job, it does nothing for the rest of
our transportation system. This shutdown affects our transit, vehicle
safety, railroad, pipeline and hazardous materials, and maritime
programs, too.
For example, at the Federal Transit Administration, 94 percent of the
employees have been furloughed. No grants are being issued to more than
1,300 transit agencies around the country. Additionally, at the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicle safety
activities, like consumer testing of new vehicles and investigations to
identify defects in automobiles, have been suspended.
Now, all of these points aren't to say that Democrats have no desire
to avoid flight delays and cancellations because of furloughed
controllers. Earlier this year, despite our opposition to the broader
FY '14 T-HUD bill, we supported the inclusion of language to prevent
controller furloughs. Unfortunately, that effort never advanced because
the allocation for the T-HUD bill under the Republican budget forced
cuts so deep to very important popular initiatives like the Community
Development Block Grant and Amtrak programs that not even Republicans
could support the broader bill, and it was Republicans that pulled the
bill from the House floor.
We could end FAA furloughs and all other furloughs if the Speaker
allowed a vote on the clean CR to end the shutdown. Democrats have
negotiated. Let's remember that. We didn't just meet in the middle; we
agreed to the Republican spending level in the stopgap bill. Look no
further than a recent headline from the National Journal yesterday:
``Nineteen times Democrats tried to negotiate with Republicans. The
GOP's biggest talking point of the shutdown is only true if you ignore
everything that has happened before last week.''
I want to make one other point. I woke up this morning listening to
the voice of a furloughed worker with two kids in college who was
talking about how in the world he is going to pay his expenses and put
food on the table without the dollars that he and his wife count on in
their accounts.
Let's look at the facts. Let's listen to these stories in our
districts. It is fine to be so cavalier here in Washington and shut
down the government, talking about getting rid of our important
obligation to pay our debts, but let's look at the impact of this.
Let's look at what is happening back home in our districts and think of
how critical these workers are, these programs are.
Let's get the bill on the floor that would fund the entire
government. This piecemeal effort may sound good. I don't know if it
sounds good to your constituents. I don't know if you can fool them
that way, but let's put the entire bill on the floor that was at your
level that passed the Senate and let's move forward.
Vote ``no'' on this irresponsible bill, and demand a House vote to
immediately end the reckless Republican shutdown.
Mr. LATHAM. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. I thank the gentleman for yielding the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this bill to fully fund
the FAA, the Federal Aviation Administration. It is so absolutely
critical, both to our economy as well as to our security in the
airways, not only on commercial flights but general aviation as well.
Mr. Speaker, during this shutdown, we keep hearing a lot about
ObamaCare, but this bill has nothing to do with ObamaCare. It has no
strings attached. It just funds the FAA.
I know that many of our colleagues on the other side will say, well,
they can't vote for this unless they have an entire clean CR funding
the entire government, because they want exactly what they want, and
nothing else will do. Yet, they call Republicans ``absolutists.''
Fortunately, many on the other side will support this bill. In fact,
I think it is of note that with all the various CRs, clean CRs, that we
have been passing since this shutdown began, all with no strings
attached, all that have nothing to do with ObamaCare, we actually now
have funded a large part--if not more than half--of the entire
discretionary Federal budget.
Unfortunately, the President and the Senate Majority Leader keep
saying that they will not negotiate; they won't consider any of these
things.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important
funding bill.
{time} 1330
Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen), the ranking
member of the Aviation Subcommittee of the Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, as ranking member of the
Aviation Subcommittee, I know how important it is to end the shutdown
of the FAA, but I do have to ask the question, if safety were so
important, why wasn't this the first bill brought to the floor in this
piecemeal approach that the Republican side has taken?
Now, look. A safe and efficient aviation system isn't just good for
travelers; it's the lifeblood of the economy where I come from. In our
State, 131,000 people across over 1,200 companies work in the aerospace
industry, but these folks don't just depend on the FAA. Is it safety to
say that police departments that need Federal grants to put cops on the
beat should have to wait? Is it safety to say that our functioning
transit systems have to wait for grants to make the transit systems
more safe? Is it safety to say that the EPA can't issue grants in my
district or around the country to make sure that we have safe and clean
drinking water? This bill funds none of these priorities.
We should not be opening just parts of the government to serve just
some of the people. We should open the entire government for all
Americans. The Republican solution to the Republican shutdown, this
piecemeal approach picking winners and picking losers, is no solution
at all.
It's great that this House wants to make sure that air travel is
safe, but why should we stop there? What about safety on our highways?
In the last 10 days, there have been three major, fatal
transportation accidents across this country. A plane crashed in Santa
Monica, California, killing four; a bus crashed in Tennessee, killing
eight and injuring another 14; and less than a mile from this building,
one person died and two others were injured during a Metro repair
accident this week. But the National Transportation Safety Board can't
investigate because this Congress sent the investigators home on
furlough.
Let's end this piecemeal approach and move on to a vote on a Senate
bill that opens all of the government for all Americans. If it's about
safety, let's do it that way. This continued unwillingness to allow one
vote--just one vote--to open the government for all Americans and not
just some needs to stop. One bill, one vote for all Americans.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Pompeo).
Mr. POMPEO. I thank the chairman for bringing this important piece of
legislation to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, it troubles me that the administration is once again
going out of its way to cause pain for the American people and at great
risk to America's safety. We see this up close and personal in my
district with this incomprehensible closure of the FAA registry office.
That is the office that allows air flights to be transferred, to be
sold and bought and purchased and entered into service. In previous
shutdowns, this office was deemed essential. It was kept open and for
good reason. It is the equivalent of DMV for
[[Page H6438]]
aircraft; you have to keep this pipeline moving. It is important for
safety and for workers. It is affecting thousands of families all
across the country who build these airplanes--engineers and workers and
manufacturers and sheet metal benders--especially in the Fourth
District, the air capital of the world.
There are thousands of families, many of them hardworking union
families folks across the aisle tell me they care deeply about, and I
know that I do, too. I would urge these folks on the other side of the
aisle to recognize the importance to our labor force, to keep America
safe, to get the aircraft registry back open, and to pass this
legislation on the floor today.
Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Benishek).
Mr. BENISHEK. I thank the chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today in support of H.J. Res. 90,
the Flight Safety Act. This commonsense bill will restore critical
funding to the FAA and help protect airports in northern Michigan and
throughout our Nation.
Like so many people in our country, I am deeply frustrated by this
government shutdown. I don't want to see air travelers in northern
Michigan hurt because the Senate and the President refuse to negotiate
on a spending plan. All that needs to be done is for both sides to come
to the negotiating table, but the Senate refuses to talk to us. It's
ridiculous.
We've already seen this mess in Washington impact airports in my
district, like the Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City. Just this
past weekend, dozens of flights were canceled because of this
government shutdown. Families shouldn't be stranded at the airport for
hours just because Washington can't get its act together. But it
doesn't have to be this way. We could fix this problem at our airports
right now with this simple piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Flight Safety Act
today. I also urge our colleagues in the Senate to take action and pass
this measure as soon as possible.
Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I would say to my colleague that
we could fund the entire government if my colleague could persuade his
leadership to bring H.J. Res. 59 to the floor. We could have a straight
up-or-down vote. It would probably pass in a bipartisan manner, and we
could stop the shutdown, and people could go back to work.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, it's interesting that we've talked about bringing our
employees back from the shutdown. We were told by the chairman of the
Appropriations Committee that this is very important because here we
are dealing with safety, and the reality is that probably the majority
of the air traffic controllers and safety personnel, as required by
FAA, are working. I can't imagine that the administrator, Mr. Huerta,
would put the American public in any kind of danger.
Again, if we would have had a budget conference several months ago,
we could have done the appropriations process and probably funded the
entire government using regular order, but I keep hearing that if this
vote were to come to the floor that it would pass in a bipartisan
manner.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take H.J. Res. 59 from the
table and ask for its immediate consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under guidelines consistently issued by
successive Speakers, as recorded in section 956 of the House Rules and
Manual, the Chair is constrained not to entertain the request unless it
has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee leaderships.
Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Well, Mr. Speaker, next time I bring it up, I
will try to clear it since there is such enthusiasm to bring the
Federal Government back to work.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of the bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about H.J. Res. 90,
the so-called ``Flight Safety Act,'' which provides limited and
insufficient funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, and is
test gimmick of the Tea Party dominated Republican majority to
extricate themselves from the fiasco they created when they voted to
shut down the government.
I am a senior member of the Homeland Security. I chaired the
Transportation Security Subcommittee in the 111th Congress and was its
Ranking Member in the last Congress. I represent Houston, which is home
to one of the nation's busiest and most important airports. So I know
the importance of the air transit industry to our economy. And I know
that the health of the air transit industry depends upon security of
air travel. I support robust funding for the FAA. I support robust
funding for TSA. I support and worked to secure increased funding to
modernize airport runways, reduce noise, increase the number of air
marshals, and to develop NextGen.
NextGen is the name given to the new airspace system to be phased in
between 2012 and 2025. NextGen will transform America's air traffic
control system from an aging ground-based system to a satellite-based
system that shortened routes, save time and fuel, reduce traffic
delays, increase capacity, and permit controllers to monitor and manage
aircraft with greater safety margins. So while I take a back seat to no
one in my support for a modern and secure air transportation system,
the bill before us is the wrong way for this House to deal with the
pressing budgetary priorities of the nation.
Mr. Speaker, I call upon our Republican colleagues to abandon their
current strategy of wasting valuable floor time bring miniCRs to the
floor. They know the Senate will not accept them and the President will
veto them. This strategy will not reopen the government they voted to
shut down.
There are the votes in this House to pass the clean CR from the
Senate and send it to the President today. That will reopen the
government today. And that is what we should do. Every day we delay
passing a clean CR is another day of unneccessary pain and hardship and
burden inflicted on the American people.
People like Ramon Encarnacion of Texas, whose 11-year-old son doesn't
understand why his father, an FAA aviation safety inspector, was able
to greet him when he got home from school this week. ``When he came
home and saw me here and not working, Mr. Encarnacion said `But you're
always at work.' '' Mr. Encarnacion worked for 25 years at American
Airlines without ever being furloughed and he never thought he would be
out of work when he took a job at the Federal Aviation Administration
as a safety inspector last year. But with the government shutdown, Mr.
Encarnacion and hundreds of other Texas employees who work for the FAA
are getting an unplanned and unpaid leave of absence.
Mr. Speaker, there is much more to the nation's transportation system
and infrastructure than the small portion of FAA safety inspectors
funded by this piece-meal mini-CR.
The shutdown of the government has crippled many of the safety
enforcement and grant-making functions of the Federal Transit
Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal
Railroad Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
This mini-CR does not end the adverse effects that the government
shutdown has had on other transportation safety and infrastructure
investments. As long as House Republicans abandon their shutdown
strategy: The Federal Transit Administration cannot process or award
operating and capital grants to roughly 1,300 transit agencies.
The FTA cannot fund or review major transit capital projects which
create construction jobs and relieve congested areas. And FTA cannot
implement its authorized safety oversight responsibilities provided in
MAP-21. FTA cannot perform these critical functions because more than 9
in 10 (94 percent) of its employees have been furloughed.
There are no funds in this mini-CR for the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration so the agency has had to: Suspend investigations
into safety defects in vehicles; halt all vehicle safety enforcement,
research, data analysis, and consumer testing programs; Delay
compliance testing of vehicles and equipment; and Defer safety research
on crash avoidance technologies, occupant protection and alcohol
detection.
Since there are no funds for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration in this bill, the agency lacks funds to conduct
pipeline and hazardous materials safety inspections or to award
pipeline safety grants to state and local governments.
The National Transportation Safety Board has had to furlough 95
percent of employees and suspend investigations into new crashes and
incidents.
[[Page H6439]]
The same is true for the Federal Railroad Administration, which has
no funds for FRA safety inspectors and has furloughed more than half of
its employees.
Mr. Speaker, the lack of funding for the Maritime Administration has
resulted in the shutdown of the United States Merchant Marine Academy
and a suspension of the Maritime Security Program, which ships cargo to
support our national defense efforts overseas.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, this mini-CR claims funds portions of the
Transportation Security Administration but it provides no funds for
commercial aviation screening or Federal Flight Deck Officer Training
or Federal Air Marshals travel and training.
Democrats are and have been willing to negotiate over honest
differences--but not before House Republican vote to open the
government and remove the threat of government default.
Mr. Speaker, people are hurting. Our economy is suffering. The
shutdown has cost our economy $8.5 billion in lost productivity already
and that number increases by $1.5 billion everyday.
Mr. Speaker, it is time to end the madness. Let the House vote today
on H.J. Res. 59, as passed by the Senate and reopen our government and
put our people back to work.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 373, the previous question is ordered.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the joint
resolution.
The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third
time, and was read the third time.
Motion to Recommit
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentlewoman opposed to the joint
resolution?
Ms. ESTY. I am opposed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Ms. Esty moves to recommit the joint resolution H.J. Res.
90 to the Committee on Appropriations with instructions to
report the same back to the House forthwith with the
following amendment:
Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the
following:
That upon passage of this joint resolution by the House of
Representatives, the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 59) making
continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other
purposes, as amended by the Senate on September 27, 2013,
shall be considered to have been taken from the Speaker's
table and the House shall be considered to have (1) receded
from its amendment; and (2) concurred in the Senate
amendment.
Ms. ESTY (during the reading). I ask unanimous consent to dispense
with the reading.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Connecticut?
There was no objection.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the
gentlewoman's motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. A point of order is reserved.
Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Connecticut is recognized
for 5 minutes in support of her motion.
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, this is the ninth day of the unnecessary
government shutdown and the 12th time we've made a motion to bring a
clean continuing resolution to the floor--12 times to allow this House
to vote on a measure that has passed the Senate, 12 times to allow the
House to vote on a budget figure that the Republicans asked for and
that has already passed this House--a measure that, based on public
statements by Members of this body, would pass and reopen the
government immediately.
Across my district and across the country, workers have been
furloughed, and veterans and seniors are seeing their earned benefits
delayed. People in Connecticut and across America are suffering the
consequences of this reckless, unnecessary shutdown in very real ways.
For months, groups in Connecticut that partner with NIH to conduct
research that we need to find breakthrough treatments for children and
adults with cancer have been asking that we end the budget sequester.
Last week, university hospitals and researchers like those in my State
came together to oppose the piecemeal approach, and they asked this
House to end the government shutdown.
The shutdown means that loans for small businesses to help them grow
and create jobs are being delayed. In fact, the average loans for small
businesses approved per day in my district are $188,000, and those
businesses put those loans to work in creating jobs, ordering new
equipment, exporting their goods, but they can't when the SBA is shut
down.
Business travelers need the entire Federal budget reopened, not a
gimmick piecemeal bill limited to parts of the FAA. Piecemeal gimmicks
are not a solution for families and children who need the entire
Federal Government reopened so that Head Start classrooms aren't
closed. Piecemeal gimmicks are not a solution for our veterans who need
the entire Federal Government reopened so that they don't face even
more unnecessary, harmful delays for the benefits they have earned.
Tax-paying Americans are right to expect their hard-earned tax
dollars are used responsibly. What sense does it make for taxpayers to
be footing the bill for furloughed workers who are prohibited from
working when we can vote today for this motion which would lead to the
entire Federal Government's reopening?
Yesterday, I received a report that 801 unemployment claims have been
filed in Connecticut from furloughed workers. Taxpayers will be paying
unemployment instead of paying people to work. One vote is all it would
take, and this motion could be that vote.
It's time to end the shutdown. It's time to send a short-term funding
bill to the President. It's time to reopen the entire Federal
Government. It is time to be responsible. This is what I hear from
folks across my district: Reopen the entire government. A manufacturer
in my district let me know that the shutdown is causing uncertainty in
its business and its customers' businesses. The shutdown has put a
chilling effect on its customers and is harming confidence.
Piecemeal gimmicks are not the solution to this problem, and this
disingenuous, piecemeal approach is not acceptable to the Chamber of
Commerce or to a coalition of over 250 associations representing
multiple private sector job-creating industries. They sent a letter to
us even before the shutdown, urging this body to promptly pass a
continuing resolution to fund the government and raise the debt
ceiling. We need to reopen the Federal Government for all of the
American people.
Make no mistake: I want the FAA reopened. I have contract towers in
my district. I want the FAA reopened. I want the VA reopened. I want
the entire Federal Government reopened. I ask my colleagues to be
reasonable and to vote to pass this motion to reopen the entire Federal
Government.
I will remind my colleagues who claim that we won't meet part way, we
have. Mr. Speaker, the budget figure in this temporary spending bill is
your proposal. The Republican budget number is much, much lower,
frankly, than what Democrats prefer, but we want to end the shutdown
and stop the pain for all of the American people. So we come before
this House with the Republicans' own budget figure and ask all House
Members to do the right thing. Join us. Join us in reopening the
Federal Government. I urge all House Members to vote ``aye'' on this
motion.
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1345
Point of Order
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that the
instructions contained in the motion violate clause 7 of rule XVI,
which requires that an amendment be germane to the bill under
consideration.
As the Chair recently ruled on October 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8, 2013, the
instructions contain a special order of business within the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules, and, therefore, the amendment
is not germane to the underlying bill.
Mr. Speaker, I insist on my point of order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentlewoman from Connecticut wish
to be heard on the point of order?
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, doesn't the bill before us fund a portion of
the Federal Government?
My motion to recommit would open up the entire Federal Government so
that all of the benefits taxpayers have paid for with their hard-earned
dollars are available.
[[Page H6440]]
Can the Chair explain why it is not germane to open all of the
Federal Government instead of just one portion of the government?
We have voted to pay workers furloughed during a shutdown--I
supported that bill--but what sense does it make to have workers paid
to sit at home and not able to do their jobs? What kind of a strange
House is this that would force that situation on our workers and
taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, if you rule this motion out of order, does that mean we
will not be opening the entire Federal Government today? Can the Chair
please explain why we can't open the entire Federal Government today?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is prepared to rule.
The gentleman from Iowa makes a point of order that the instructions
proposed in the motion to recommit offered by the gentlewoman from
Connecticut are not germane.
The joint resolution extends funding relating to the Federal Aviation
Administration. The instructions in the motion propose an order of
business of the House.
As the Chair ruled on October 2, October 3, October 4, October 7, and
October 8, 2013, a motion to recommit proposing an order of business of
the House is not germane to a measure providing for the appropriation
of funds because such a motion addresses a matter within the
jurisdiction of a committee not represented in the underlying measure.
Therefore, the instructions propose a non-germane amendment. The
point of order is sustained.
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is, Shall the decision of the
Chair stand as the judgment of the House?
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to table.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 and clause 9 of Rule
XX, this 15-minute vote on the motion to table will be followed by 5-
minute votes on passage of the joint resolution, if arising without
further proceedings in recommittal, and the motion to suspend the rules
and pass House Joint Resolution 91.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 228,
nays 194, not voting 9, as follows:
[Roll No. 536]
YEAS--228
Aderholt
Amash
Amodei
Bachmann
Bachus
Barletta
Barr
Barton
Benishek
Bentivolio
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Broun (GA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Conaway
Cook
Cotton
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Culberson
Daines
Davis, Rodney
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gibson
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffin (AR)
Griffith (VA)
Grimm
Guthrie
Hall
Hanna
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Heck (NV)
Hensarling
Holding
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
Joyce
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Labrador
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Lankford
Latham
Latta
LoBiondo
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Marchant
Marino
Massie
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
Meadows
Meehan
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (PA)
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Nunnelee
Olson
Palazzo
Paulsen
Pearce
Perry
Petri
Pittenger
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Radel
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Royce
Runyan
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Sanford
Scalise
Schock
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stewart
Stivers
Stockman
Stutzman
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IN)
NAYS--194
Andrews
Barber
Barrow (GA)
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Bera (CA)
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu
Cicilline
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Duckworth
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Enyart
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Fudge
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hanabusa
Hastings (FL)
Heck (WA)
Himes
Hinojosa
Holt
Honda
Horsford
Hoyer
Huffman
Israel
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Kuster
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Matheson
Matsui
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McIntyre
McNerney
Meng
Michaud
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Negrete McLeod
Nolan
O'Rourke
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters (CA)
Peters (MI)
Peterson
Pingree (ME)
Pocan
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Richmond
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Speier
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Welch
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--9
Ellmers
Gabbard
Grijalva
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
McCarthy (NY)
Meeks
Rush
Young (FL)
{time} 1412
Mr. CARSON of Indiana and Ms. SINEMA changed their vote from ``yea''
to ``nay.''
So the motion to table was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Stated for:
Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 536, I was unavoidably
detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the joint
resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 252,
noes 172, not voting 7, as follows:
[Roll No. 537]
AYES--252
Aderholt
Amash
Amodei
Bachmann
Bachus
Barber
Barletta
Barr
Barrow (GA)
Barton
Benishek
Bentivolio
Bera (CA)
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Broun (GA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Bustos
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
[[Page H6441]]
Conaway
Cook
Cotton
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Culberson
Daines
Davis, Rodney
DelBene
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallego
Garcia
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gibson
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffin (AR)
Griffith (VA)
Grimm
Guthrie
Hall
Hanna
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Heck (NV)
Hensarling
Holding
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
Joyce
Keating
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Labrador
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Lankford
Latham
Latta
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lynch
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Massie
Matheson
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
Meadows
Meehan
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Nunnelee
Olson
Palazzo
Paulsen
Pearce
Perry
Peters (CA)
Peters (MI)
Petri
Pittenger
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Radel
Rahall
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Royce
Ruiz
Runyan
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Sanford
Scalise
Schneider
Schock
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stewart
Stivers
Stockman
Stutzman
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IN)
NOES--172
Andrews
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Brady (PA)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu
Cicilline
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Duckworth
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Enyart
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Frankel (FL)
Fudge
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hanabusa
Hastings (FL)
Heck (WA)
Himes
Hinojosa
Holt
Honda
Horsford
Hoyer
Huffman
Israel
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kaptur
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Kuster
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Maffei
Maloney, Carolyn
Matsui
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Michaud
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Negrete McLeod
Nolan
O'Rourke
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peterson
Pingree (ME)
Pocan
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rangel
Richmond
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Speier
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Welch
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--7
Gabbard
Garamendi
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
McCarthy (NY)
Rush
Young (FL)
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes
remaining.
{time} 1419
So the joint resolution was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________